Trininad Fundadores 1998

Measures: 188 mm x 15 mm

Age: The cigar came from a box with a 1998 code.

Setting: Yesterday the local music school had its annual dance party. This is a tuxedo event with good food, good company, and a lot of live music of various genres. It is also an entirely cigar-friendly occasion. So, a special cigar was in order. It took me no time at all to pick one of the recently bought Fundadores as the after-dinner cigar for the event.

The Fundadore is a gorgeous and stylish cigar. Long and thin in shape, it challenges the more recent trend of big ring gauges. The wrapper was fairly dark, almost EL-style. It felt exquisite in hand: the oily surface was covered with the tiniest teeth. The smell of the unlit cigar was intoxicating. The construction appeared to be just as good as the most experienced rollers can make it: uniformly firm with just the right grade of suppleness. The characteristic pigtail crowned the generous cap. It was so beautiful that I hardly had the heart to cut it.

But I did, and lighted up the cigar. From here on, my (limited skills) of analytical observation went overboard. I can only report that the cigar performed just as excellently as it looked: the draw was perfect, and the cigar burned slowly and evenly. The aroma was pure heaven, increasing in intensity and spice as I puffed away in bliss. The burning cigar smelled even better than the unlit one; several people commented that its aroma was nice. At times while smoking the cigar I had some difficulty to fully participate in the lively discussion in the dinner table: I was on a trip. For how long, I cannot tell, but I suspect I spent nearly three hours smoking the cigar.

This may well have been the best cigar that I have so far had the privilege to smoke. Even better, it matched perfectly the festive, yet merry and relaxed mood of the setting. Life was good. This memory will stay in my mind.